CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — A suspect and an uninvolved driver were killed Tuesday afternoon when a law enforcement pursuit ended in a crash in Clear Creek County.
The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office (CCCSO) took to social media Tuesday morning to warn about a series of vehicle break-ins that happened at the Microtel Hotel in Georgetown overnight.
At the time, the sheriff's office said it was "following up on suspect leads."
The sheriff's office said it learned that a suspect vehicle — a Chrysler Town and Country — was in the area of Highway 40 at Floyd Hill just before 2 p.m. CCCSO said the driver of the Chrysler was reportedly involved in at least 25 vehicle break-ins in Summit and Eagle counties over the past two weeks. Several items, including a firearm and ammunition, were reportedly stolen during those break-ins, according to the sheriff's office.
Clear Creek County deputies and officers with the Idaho Springs Police Department "staged" at the intersection of Highway 40 and Highway 6 and waited for the suspect vehicle.
According to CCCSO, the Chrysler was traveling westbound on Highway 40 and turned left onto Highway 6. Law enforcement tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver took off westbound on Highway 6 and then went the wrong way on the Interstate 70 eastbound off-ramp.
The sheriff's office said there was "virtually no eastbound traffic due to a rock scaling hold in the construction zone," and law enforcement stopped following the Chrysler.
After a half-mile, the driver of the Chrysler reportedly turned around on I-70 and started speeding eastbound in the eastbound lanes.
Two law enforcement vehicles blocked the I-70 off-ramp to Highway 6. The sheriff's office said the Chrysler drove toward the law enforcement vehicles, and a deputy deployed stop sticks. The Chrysler ran over the stop sticks, according to CCCSO, but kept traveling east on Highway 6 with deflated tires. Law enforcement then initiated another pursuit of the Chrysler.
Shortly after driving through Tunnel 6 at mile marker 259, the Chrysler lost control, according to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), and crossed into the westbound lanes before colliding head-on with a Lexus RX350. The crash pushed the Lexus off the roadway, causing it to roll before landing in Clear Creek, according to the sheriff's office.
The driver and sole occupant of the Lexus was airlifted to the hospital and was later pronounced dead. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office will release their identity at a later time.
The driver of the Chrysler was pronounced dead at the scene, according to CSP. Their identity will also be released at a later time.
A passenger in the Chrysler — a 27-year-old woman — was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
CSP is investigating the crash, while the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the Summit County Sheriff's Office and other jurisdictions, is investigating the crimes allegedly involving the Chrysler driver.
There was a second crash connected to the pursuit.
According to CSP, a Jefferson County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle that was heading westbound on Highway 6 to help with the pursuit struck a raised metal construction plate in a construction area and went airborne, causing other JCSO patrol vehicles to crash as the drivers tried to avoid the airborne vehicle.
One of the patrol vehicles struck a concrete barrier, and a Jefferson County deputy was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
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